Review - Making the Moose Out of Life

Making the Moose Out of Life (Life in the Wild)
by Nicholas Oldland
Date: 2009
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

This moose may live in the wild, but he doesn't act it -- he watches from the sidelines as his friends have fun. From the creator of Big Bear Hug comes a lighthearted, contemporary fable about a mild-mannered moose who learns to live life to the fullest.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a silly story that has lots of unanswered questions... but a pretty good theme.

Moose always stays on the sidelines while his friends play. He never wants to join in and, as a result, starts to feel like he's missing out on life. So he takes a sailboat that just happens to be floating nearby, puts on his life jacket, and goes for a sail... only to get blown way off course by a storm. He ends up on a deserted island. While he could've curled up and cried, he decides to make the most of it. He learns survival skills and makes a tortoise friend (named Tuesday). Eventually, he's rescued by a cruise ship and returns home to his friends with a newfound appreciation for all that life has to offer.

I like the message about rolling with the punches. Moose learns to make the best of whatever situation he's in. How that's shown, however, is a little unrealistic. Unlike in Big Bear Hug, where the bear was still pretty much a bear, Moose is very anthropomorphized... to the point where he's not even really recognizable as a moose. He spears fish (I don't think moose even eat fish... do they?) and builds fires while he's on the island, and then takes up shuffleboard and eats hamburgers while on the cruise. I think I would've preferred to see Moose do things in a more moose-like way.

Other than that, though, I think the message is a strong one. Moose learns that he needs to take life by the antlers to be fulfilled. He can't just sit around and wait for life to happen to him (after all, he tried that, and he missed out on a lot of fun with his friends).

But I'm still trying to figure out how he ended up on an island in the Caribbean...

Quotable moment:

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.67 out of 5